THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING

By Randall Rothenberg

Published: February 7, 1990

The Time Inc. Magazine Company is beginning its new magazine Entertainment Weekly with help from a series of trade-as-consumer advertisements that are unusual because they are aimed at young media planners and buyers who are watching their favorite television programs.

In one of three 30-second commercials by the Deutsch agency that start next Monday, a rat is shown running on a wheel in a stark, white room, while in voice-over two young executives discuss, in highly technical, frenetic language, a deal. When they conclude, a slightly smug, slightly sad announcer says, ''Even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat.'' The commercial concludes with the magazine's introductory slogan: ''Kick back. Chill out. Hang loose. Have fun.''

''We are trying to get to media decision makers,'' said Donny Deutsch, the agency's creative director. But the trade is the consumer, so we're hitting them as consumers. We're looking at Entertainment Weekly as a book for and about the people who are making media decisions, as a subset of those who are entertainment junkies.'' Among the programs on which the spots are scheduled to run are such favorites of the twentysomething and thirtysomething crowd as ''L.A. Law,'' ''The Arsenio Hall Show,'' ''The Wonder Years'' and, of course, ''thirtysomething.''